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Category Archives: DA Watch

Two weeks ago, Waco Top Prosecutor Abel Reyna recused himself from the prosecution of two cases in the Twin Peaks shootout and successfully moved for dismissal of all charges against another 13 defendants. This happened on the same morning that there was a hearing scheduled on the corruption allegations filed against Reyna in his role…

A federal judge has dismissed with prejudice the charges brought against Cliven Bundy and it’s a big deal. It’s always a big deal for a judge to dismiss a case “with prejudice,” because that means the case is over. There’s no option for the government to re-file their criminal lawsuit. It’s over. Dismissed with Prejudice…

First things first, remember the big shooting down in Waco last year, where hundreds of arrests were made in the big “biker shootout” at the Twin Peaks restaurant? We’ve discussed it before, read “Waco Justice? 100 Days After Twin Peaks Biker Arrests, Things Look Fishy to Criminal Defense .” Nov 10th Mistrial in Twin Peaks…

So, what’s going on here in Dallas County with our prosecutors and our police department? Well, there are lots of things going on right now that impact criminal justice – and criminal defense – here in North Texas. Because excessive force by the police and prosecutorial misconduct isn’t just stuff that happens in…

Here’s what happens. You’re driving along, minding your own business, when you see those flashing lights in your rearview mirror and pull over. The police officer saunters up to your window. You ask what’s going on: why did he stop you? Next thing you know, he’s checking out stuff in your car and he’s using…

Look in the dictionary and “hate crime” is defined as any crime that is motivated by hostility towards the victim because he or she is a member of a specific group (like gender, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation). The FBI has its own definition: a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in…

Do you remember where you were in 1981? Were you even alive in 1981? Let’s think back … 1981 was the year: President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley; the CDC recognized the first five cases of AIDS in five homosexual men diagnosed with a “rare form of pneumonia” in Los Angeles; Donkey Kong…

Prosecutorial misconduct is a problem of epidemic proportions in this country. There is lots of discussion in criminal justice circles (and elsewhere) about how best to rein in these rogues and stop the rampant injustice created by prosecutorial misconduct. For more on the severity and seriousness of the prosecutorial misconduct problem in Texas, read our…

This week, President Trump publicly blamed former President Obama for allowing known Central American gang MS-13 to gain a foothold in the United States. See, “Trump blames Obama for formation of MS-13 crime gang,” published by the Business Insider on April 17, 2017. Two months ago, the President signed a series of three executive orders…

In a criminal case, someone’s freedom — or even their life — is on the line. Legally, this places special duties upon the prosecution to be fair with the defendant. All sorts of laws exist to protect against abuse by the state: things like the Speedy Trial Act, for instance. Prosecutorial Duty to Turn Over…